Chemistry, The Central Science, 10th edition

Theodore L. Brown; H. Eugene LeMay, Jr.;

and Bruce E. Bursten

Chapter 2
Atoms, Molecules,
and Ions
John D. Bookstaver
St. Charles Community College
St. Peters, MO Atoms,
Molecules,
 2006, Prentice Hall, Inc. and Ions
 Law of Constant Composition
Joseph Proust (1754–1826)

• Also known as the law of definite

proportions.
• The elemental composition of a pure
substance never varies.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Law of Conservation of Mass

The total mass of substances present at

the end of a chemical process is the
same as the mass of substances
present before the process took place.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 The Nuclear Atom

Since some particles

were deflected at
large angles,
Thompson’s model
could not be correct.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 The Nuclear Atom
• Rutherford postulated a very small,
dense nucleus with the electrons
around the outside of the atom.
• Most of the volume of the atom is empty
space.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Subatomic Particles
• Protons and electrons are the only particles that
have a charge.
• Protons and neutrons have essentially the same
mass.
• The mass of an electron is so small we ignore it.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Atomic Number

All atoms of the same element have the same

number of protons:
The atomic number (Z)
Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Atomic Mass

The mass of an atom in atomic mass units

(amu) is the total number of protons and
neutrons in the atom.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Isotopes:
• Atoms of the same element with different masses.
• Isotopes have different numbers of neutrons.

11 12 13 14
6 C 6 C 6 C 6 C

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Average Mass

• Because in the real world we use large

amounts of atoms and molecules, we
use average masses in calculations.
• Average mass is calculated from the
isotopes of an element weighted by
their relative abundances.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Periodic Table:

• A systematic
catalog of
elements.
• Elements are
arranged in order
of atomic number.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Periodicity

When one looks at the chemical properties of

elements, one notices a repeating pattern of
reactivities.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Periodic Table
• The rows on the
periodic chart are
periods.
• Columns are groups.
• Elements in the same
group have similar
chemical properties.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Groups

These five groups are known by their names.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Diatomic Molecules

These seven elements occur naturally as

molecules containing two atoms.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Types of Formulas

• Empirical formulas give the lowest

whole-number ratio of atoms of each
element in a compound.
• Molecular formulas give the exact
number of atoms of each element in a
compound.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Types of Formulas

• Structural formulas show the

order in which atoms are
bonded.
• Perspective drawings also
show the three-dimensional
array of atoms in a
compound.

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Ions

• When atoms lose or gain electrons, they

become ions.
 Cations are positive and are formed by elements
on the left side of the periodic chart.
 Anions are negative and are formed by elements Atoms,
on the right side of the periodic chart. Molecules,
and Ions
 Writing Formulas

• Because compounds are electrically neutral,

one can determine the formula of a
compound this way:
 The charge on the cation becomes the subscript
on the anion.
 The charge on the anion becomes the subscript
on the cation.
 If these subscripts are not in the lowest whole-
number ratio, divide them by the greatest common
Atoms,
factor. Molecules,
and Ions
Common Cations

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Common Anions

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Inorganic Nomenclature

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Patterns in Oxyanion Nomenclature

• When there are two oxyanions involving

the same element:
The one with fewer oxygens ends in -ite
• NO2− : nitrite; SO32− : sulfite
The one with more oxygens ends in -ate
• NO3− : nitrate; SO42− : sulfate

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Patterns in Oxyanion
Nomenclature
• The one with the second fewest oxygens ends in -ite
ClO2− : chlorite
• The one with the second most oxygens ends in -ate
ClO3− : chlorate

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
 Patterns in Oxyanion Nomenclature
• The one with the fewest oxygens has the prefix hypo-
and ends in -ite
ClO− : hypochlorite
• The one with the most oxygens has the prefix per- and
ends in -ate
ClO4− : perchlorate

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Acid Nomenclature

• If the anion in the acid

ends in -ide, change
the ending to -ic acid
and add the prefix
hydro- :
 HCl: hydrochloric acid
 HBr: hydrobromic acid
 HI: hydroiodic acid

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Acid Nomenclature

• If the anion in the acid

ends in -ite, change
the ending to -ous
acid:
 HClO: hypochlorous
acid
 HClO2: chlorous acid

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Acid Nomenclature

• If the anion in the acid

ends in -ate, change
the ending to -ic acid:
 HClO3: chloric acid
 HClO4: perchloric acid

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Nomenclature of Binary
Compounds
• The less electronegative
atom is usually listed
first.
• A prefix is used to
denote the number of
atoms of each element
in the compound (mono-
is not used on the first
element listed, however.)
Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Nomenclature of Binary
Compounds
• The ending on the more
electronegative element is
changed to -ide.

 CO2: carbon dioxide

 CCl4: carbon tetrachloride

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions
Nomenclature of Binary
Compounds
If the prefix ends with a
or o and the name of the
element begins with a
vowel, the two
successive vowels are
often elided into one:

N2O5: dinitrogen pentoxide

Atoms,
Molecules,
and Ions